Academic record and applicant category
Eligibility begins with the programme and application category. BU’s international applicant page addresses first-year international applicants, defined there as applicants who are neither US citizens nor US permanent residents. It does not publish one universal secondary-school percentage threshold on that page. Instead, BU asks for official school records and senior-year grades, with predicted examination results for applicants in examination-based curricula such as IB, GCE, CBSE and ISC. Transfer applicants must follow the separate transfer rules, while graduate and professional applicants must use the requirements issued by the school or programme. Your school record should make the subjects, levels and sequence clear. If your transcript uses local course names or grading scales, arrange an official explanation from your school rather than converting marks to a US GPA yourself. BU evaluates records in context; a third-party equivalency calculation is not a substitute for the university’s assessment. Check the specific degree page for prerequisites, portfolio or audition requirements, term availability and any additional eligibility conditions before applying.
School-specific mathematics prerequisites
BU identifies mathematics prerequisites for first-year international applicants to two schools. College of Engineering applicants need a year of calculus. BU says IB Mathematics Analysis and Approaches at Higher or Standard Level, and Higher Level Mathematics Applications and Interpretations, meet the requirement; students in other international curricula need some calculus. Questrom School of Business applicants need either a year of calculus, or a year of precalculus together with a year of AP Statistics. BU lists the corresponding IB mathematics routes on its international page. These are specific to those schools and do not establish the prerequisite for every BU major. Check how your current or predicted courses map to the stated sequence. If the transcript lists only a subject title, ask your school for a course description or syllabus. Do not assume that an online course or a different statistics class is equivalent unless BU confirms it. If you are choosing between programmes, treat prerequisite differences as a real decision point: a student who satisfies one school’s mathematics route may not satisfy another’s.
English proficiency
BU currently names TOEFL iBT, IELTS and Duolingo English Test as options for applicants who must demonstrate English proficiency. Its international page says that the most competitive DET applicants typically have a total score of 125–135 and that both the total and all subscores are reviewed for consistency. That range is guidance about competitive applications, not an automatic admission threshold. The source page also provides TOEFL and IELTS guidance; use the current version because test scales and reporting formats can change. Applicants whose first language is English but who speak another language at home may consider submitting a result to demonstrate fluency. BU recommends optional InitialView or Vericant interviews as an additional way to show English proficiency, but the page states that applicants must still submit one of the accepted English tests when the requirement applies. If you believe you qualify for a waiver, request a decision from BU rather than assuming one. Confirm score-reporting timelines and accepted test dates well before the application deadline.
Standardised admission tests
BU’s first-year international checklist currently labels standardised tests as optional. That policy is separate from the English-proficiency requirement. Applicants may decide whether to submit SAT or ACT scores under the policy that applies to their entry term. A test being optional does not mean that an English test is optional for every applicant, nor does it change a school-specific prerequisite such as calculus. If you submit a score, ensure the testing organisation sends it through the accepted reporting route and that BU receives it in time. If you do not submit one, place the application’s other evidence in context: grades, curriculum rigor, predicted results, teacher evaluation and school report. The admissions office’s current page should be checked for policy updates, especially for future cycles. Graduate programmes may require different examinations or none at all; do not transfer the undergraduate test policy to a graduate application.
Documents and translations
BU requires official secondary-school records, senior-year grades, a counsellor recommendation and school report, and a teacher evaluation for first-year international applicants. The application checklist also includes the Common Application, financial-support documentation and passport data page. If documents are written in a language other than English, BU asks for both the original and a notarised English translation. Do not submit only the translated copy. For an examination-based curriculum, arrange predicted results in addition to current grades. Early Decision applicants should have the first marking period submitted when available; Regular Decision applicants should send first-semester grades or the first trimester for schools on a trimester schedule. Ask the school official to send records through BU’s prescribed channel and allow time for processing. Then check the applicant portal to confirm that each credential has been matched to your file. Keep copies and transmission dates in case an item is delayed. Optional interviews and optional standardised tests should be labelled as optional in your planning; they do not replace required school records or English evidence.
Programme and entry-term exceptions
BU’s majors catalogue is broad, but not every programme accepts every applicant type or entry term. BU explicitly notes that the School of Hospitality Administration does not accept first-year applications. The majors page also flags some courses that are unavailable for January admission, including certain arts and engineering programmes. These restrictions affect where or when a student can apply; they are not a general statement that BU does not offer the subject. Review the exact major listing and linked school page, and ask admissions whether an alternate route such as transfer admission is appropriate. Portfolio, audition, prerequisite or professional-school requirements may also apply. Check whether the intended campus, term and school are all consistent across your application. If a restriction conflicts with a search result or third-party listing, use BU’s own programme page and request clarification before submitting. A general international checklist confirms document categories; it does not override school-specific entry conditions.